Elective nodal irradiation (ENI) in definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for squamous cell carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus.
OBJECTIVE
There are some reports indicating that prophylactic three-field lymph node dissection for esophageal cancer can lead to improved survival. But the benefit of ENI in CRT for thoracic esophageal cancer remains controversial. The purpose of the present study is to retrospectively evaluate the efficacy of elective nodal irradiation (ENI) in definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for thoracic esophageal cancer.


METHODS
Patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the thoracic esophagus newly diagnosed between February 1999 and April 2001 in our institution was recruited from our database. Definitive chemoradiotherapy consisted of two cycles of cisplatin/5FU repeated every 5 weeks, with concurrent radiation therapy of 60 Gy in 30 fractions. Up to 40 Gy radiation therapy was delivered to the cervical, periesophageal, mediastinal and perigastric lymph nodes as ENI.


RESULTS
One hundred two patients were included in this analysis, and their characteristics were as follows: median age, 65 years; male/female, 85/17; T1/T2/T3/T4, 16/11/61/14; N0/N1, 48/54; M0/M1, 84/18. The median follow-up period for the surviving patients was 41 months. Sixty patients achieved complete response (CR). After achieving CR, only one (1.0%; 95% CI, 0-5.3%) patient experienced elective nodal failure without any other site of recurrence.


CONCLUSIONS
In CRT for esophageal SCC, ENI is effective for preventing regional nodal failure. Further evaluation of whether ENI leads to an improved overall survival is needed.
Onozawa
Masakatsu
M
Radiation Oncology Division, National Cancer Center Hospital East, 6-5-1 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan. maonozaw@east.ncc.go.jp
Nihei
Keiji
K
Ishikura
Satoshi
S
Minashi
Keiko
K
Yano
Tomonori
T
Muto
Manabu
M
Ohtsu
Atsushi
A
Ogino
Takashi
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D012189:Retrospective Studies